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On consulting my Church Diary I noticed that the date, 25th May was the Feast of St Bede the Venerable. I then recalled that, in a conversation with one of my past students, she had mentioned a calligraphy project which her class had been given involving a poem translated into Latin by Bede. I looked up my records to establish details behind these facts. Some years ago I had instructed my Calligraphy and Illumination Class to write in appropriate script, and decorate as necessary, a poem by a seventh century unlearned cowherd. The fascinating story of how the poem came about was elaborated in Bede's Historia Ecclesiastica Gentis Anglorum (Ecclesiastical History of the English People), written about AD731. He wrote that: An illiterated cowherd called Caedmon had been drinking and roistering with others of his kind. As sometimes happens even today, each member is required by the others to 'do a turn' - sing, play, do a recitation or some such entertainment. Caedmon, lacking the ability to do so, went out, probably to go home. On the way, possibly being a little the worse for drink, he fell into a deep sleep during which an Angel appeared to him. This Angel (referred to in Latin as a Quidam - which can also be interpreted as stranger, ghost or unknown person) said to him (in fluent Latin of course!): Caedmon - canta mihi aliquid" - which is, being interpreted: "Caedmon - sing something to me." At this, Caedmon awoke and protested that he knew not how, nor in any event what he might sing about. He was then prompted to "sing of the beginning of things" and thereupon he composed a beautiful verbally alliterative verse, which in Bede's elegant version is: Nunc laudare debemus auctorem
regni coelestis Later, Caedmon related the story to the bailiff of the monastic lands to which he was bound, and was then conducted to the monastery at Streaneshalh (later called Whitby). He there met the redoubtable Hilda, abbess of the joint monastery of monks and nuns. She listened, was amazed and sent Caedmon to versify a piece of sacred text. He produced a competent effort the following day. All that he heard he could readily reproduce in vernacular poetry. Hilda received him into the order of monks, where he continued his poetic works. He is regarded as the earliest of the English Christian poets and these events occurred around AD650-680. His main theme was to turn men from sin into righteousness - a necessary objective of that barbaric time (and not totally irrelevant today!) Later scholars have cast doubt on the authenticity of some of his other poems, including the Dream of the Rood - a tale of the beautiful tree - an allegory of the Cross upon which Christ died. Undoubtedly the talents of Caedmon acted as a catalyst for further sacred poetry and hymns. Here we have yet a further illustration that gifts of the Holy Spirit are present within all of us. What may be needed are conditions and opportunities to bring forth abilities which would otherwise go unsung. As for the calligraphy project - a literal translation into English does not make much sense. It is too much of an epigrammatic nature and loses all of its musicality from the original Anglo-Saxon. It has been averred that King Alfred made a translation into Old English - the vernacular language of his time. However, I have traced a version which, in my opinion, is the best of the modern attempts. It is by Trevor Crossley-Holland: Now we must praise the Guardian
of Heaven, Rod Dawson |
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page last updated 1 JULY 2001 |
